So there was the Prologue and next is Chapter One. Hope you're intrigued, so here's the next Chapter. Spring's Promise
My Iris, My Beloved
Chapter 1: Spring's Promise
By: TigressMoon
"My Lord Sesshoumaru?" A woman's voice asked.
I looked up from my papers to see a young demoness with waist long ebony hair streaked with silver. She was small and dainty at five-foot-five, and was already beginning to fill into her woman's body. Her eyes were a warm chocolate brown as she stared at me as would a daughter her father, which in a sense I was.
"Yes Rin." I replied.
She stepped carefully inside so as not to snag the lovely green and gold kimono she wore. She curtsied and said.
"Father, there is word of another rebellion." She stated heavily.
A deep sigh escaped my lips, I was not sure I could stand another rebellion from my demon underlings. The reason for this one I was uncertain of. The last had been because I refused to let them steal human women, the previous one, no killing of humans in my territory. And I believed that the one before that was refusing to let my humans give them offerings.
Many of them were young and pigheaded, and too stubborn to realize that disobeying my orders was a deathwish.
"Rin do you know what this uprising is for."
She looked down and blushed, and I had a rather strong suspicion that she did.
"Partially." She whispered.
"Speak up Rin."
She took a deep breath and then said very slowly, very carefully.
"The demons are uprising...because...I. I denied them...the right to court me."
I was up and out of my seat before she could even look at me. I breezed past her and stormed out of the room, the anger I felt coming out as a rising tide of heat about my body. But it never showed on my face.
Rin appeared by my side a moment later, her face flushed still from embarrassment.
"Father, what are you doing?" She asked while taking two steps for my one.
"I'm going to kill them." I replied calmly.
Rin gawked at me for a moment, as she fought to keep up with me.
"But father..." I stopped her.
"No Rin, this is the last time I will have dissention in the ranks. I've been lenient for too long. They need to be reminded that this Sesshoumaru does not tolerate betrayal."
"I understand father." She sighed. "But do not forget, there are rumors of that assassin about. This may just be a trap." She cautioned.
I stopped as I reached the armory and began choosing weapons. When she said those words I stopped, she was right and I knew it. But who really would be foolish enough to try and ambush this Sesshoumaru.
I strapped a pair of knives around my wrists and calves, as well as set of daggers showed at my hips across from the Tensiega.
"I know Rin, but fear not. Nothing will happen in this Sesshoumaru's absence." I told her.
She bowed and stared at the horizon, a worried look in her eyes.
"All will be well, now go tend to Jaken, he will wonder where I have gone. Especially without him."
Rin smiled then at the thought of her old caretaker. She and Jaken had come to an agreement and the truce had kept them from trying to kill each other. Rin bowed again and left in the same instant.
I stopped assembling weapons to take a deep breath and think. There was a time when I would have just ordered her out, have not comforted her in anyway. Maybe it was true what the peasants say. Maybe I am going soft.
I buried the thought; my people and family could not afford for me to be soft. I had built my empire on being cruel, viscous and cold, it was not about to change because some spring happy mongrels thought they would take over my territory.
They would pay, and this Sesshoumaru would see to it.
The day was just dawning, the sun barely peaking over the horizon. The air was crisp and cool, the last of winter's chill still on the breeze. Snow still lay a thick blanket on the earth, as if it to refused to release its hold. Spring was here, but the earth had not seemed to notice.
For only a moment I had considered bringing a Calvary, then thought better of it. No one would ever say that Sesshoumaru Tai; Lord of the Western Lands needed an army to destroy an almost nonexistent threat.
No, this was a mission I would handle on my own. It was about time that the Sesshoumaru of old made an appearance. It was about time for them to realize that it was I who ruled here, and they needed to be reminded of why.
I picked up their scent some miles away from my castle, the thought of that alone made crimson flare into my eyes. They were bold, or very stupid. To set a trail this close to my home. Either that or it was a challenge, one I had no qualms against accepting.
I followed their trail almost to the outskirts of my territory, stopping at the villages periodically to find if they had stolen anything. The reply was the same, only the most beautiful woman from each village. By the time he reached the last of them, over thirty-five women had been taken.
I had been right about the demons; they were stupid and bold. Known of them would remember that humans were slow and would hinder their progress, their scents easier to track. But I discovered a surprise at the last village; all of the captured women were there. Scared but unharmed. They were awaiting transportation back to their homes.
When I found him, I asked the village priest what had happened. The demons had passed through his village as well seeking the town's jewel. But what they found was not what they expected. The woman was a priestess of untold power, she told that the if they released the rest of the women she would go with them willingly and make them more powerful than they had ever imagined.
Something about the story did not seem to make since in my mind. What woman could be so powerful that one she could without hesitation make the offer, and then convince the demons to release their bounty. When I asked the priest he replied.
"She showed them a glimmer of her power. She killed two of the demons."
"How?" I asked.
The man gulped.
"She...looked...at him." He began as he shifted his weight from foot to foot, as if nervous. "She looked at him, and it killed him."
My brow arched in question.
"She merely...looked at him? And the demon fell?"
"At first glance that was what it appeared to be, she just looked at him. But then the demon's eyes widened with fear. He seemed completely terrified of her; he pressed his hands against his skull and began whimpering in pain. He started screaming. 'MAKE IT STOP, MAKE IT STOP!' and before the others could reach him, he keeled over. Blood pooled from his ears, eyes and nose. When we went to examine him, we realized the demon's heart had burst. It had died of fear."
"And what of the other?" I asked in the same aloof tone. But in my mind I was trying to understand how someone could have terrified someone into making their own heart burst.
"The other was the fallen demon's brother. With an outraged screech he grabbed her arm, for a moment she did not seem to notice but then her eyes turned to his. And he too pulled away, the horrified gaze setting in his features. Then as if invisible claws wracked his body, he was torn apart. Literally torn apart, blood splattered everywhere. Except for the woman, she stood as immaculate and pristine as ever amidst all the carnage."
For a moment I did not speak, my mind still trying to put the pieces together. Whoever this woman was, she did have the potential to make those demons as powerful as herself or even more. But was that truly her motive?
"What does she look like?"
"Beautiful."
Again my brow raised.
"That is all, just beautiful."
The man stared up at me.
"No, not just beautiful. So beautiful that it was terrifying."
He said, his voice rising to the point that it was almost a squeak.
"I will find her, and kill the demons that took her. Rest assured, there will be no other rebellions for as long as you live." I promised as I began to leave.
The man's face became tight with apprehension and he called out to me.
"My lord, if you will hear me. I have something else that you might wish to know."
I stopped and turned around to face him. I must have given some indication to continue for he did so a moment later.
"Be wary of this woman my lord, she is far more than she seems."
What a surprise I thought dryly.
"Be wary my Lord Sesshoumaru, this woman...she and everything about her is...unnatural. Do not look her in the eye if you can help it. One of our men did so...he is currently mad."
The message was duly noted and I nodded my thanks as I left. As I reached the outskirts of the village, I found that the rebels trail was fresh. I had not lost time with the villagers; instead they were right were I wanted them to be.
A half-hour later, I was reaching a hill summit. Whereas the area in and around town had had the snow shoveled away, here it was still thick and crunched under my feet. Not far before me I could hear the sounds of battle, the yelps of the wounded, angry battle cries and the sharp clash of metal against metal.
As I broke the summit, surprise settled into the pit of my stomach but did not appear on my face. What I had thought to be a small band of rebels was a force with enough demons to rival my own army. But what was worse.
More than half of them lay already dead.
Fighting amongst the demons still alive, a woman stood amidst the fray. She wore a kimono as white as the snow around her, long ebony colored hair flying about her like a banner as she spun with twin sabers glistening in her hands.
She moved through them with a dancer's grace, her tall lithe body pulling the blades behind her. With every twirl another demon fell, its blood splattering against the snow. And I will tell you now.
No substance blazes brighter than fresh blood on virgin snow.
Even her kimono had been stained with blood, the crimson flaring against the brighter than white of the fabric. With one final swing the last of the rebels, the leader I presumed, fell dead. His head cut clear off his body. It rolled in the snow for a moment; the look of surprise would be frozen on his face for all eternity.
Nothing moved in the clearing, all life seemed to stop as the woman merely stood there staring down at the dead demon's head. Then it seemed she became aware of my presence. She stood up straight and tall, her back still facing me. But her head turned towards me and I saw her for the first time.
The priest had been right; she was not just beautiful she was terrifying. Her skin was as pale as snow, delicate and smooth. It made her blood red of her lips seem darker, more menacing. And even made deeper the shadow of her ebony hair. That paradox alone was unsettling. And something about her hair did not seem right; I realized moments later there were no highlights to it. Most hair types have a lighter highlight, ebony's usual being blue. But hers was just black, a deep rich black.
She had sharp high cheekbones that were accented by upward pointing almond shaped eyes. And it was in her eye that I saw where her true beauty lay. They were a pale almost icy blue, without even a hint of gray. The seemed like blue tinted ice. But they were beautiful; beautiful in the way you knew a tiger was beautiful although you knew it was dangerous.
There was something about her that seemed feline; maybe it was the way she glided, as if she had bones in places that others lacked. Or maybe the soft calculating shift in her eyes, but something about her was feline and I wanted to know what. I was about to question her when she turned to completely face me, and I stopped when I saw the right eye.
It was blue! But then again not just blue, sapphire. The deep swirling sapphire that belonged to my beloved. In the instant that I saw it, I knew it was she.
"Kagome?" I whispered and took a step forward.
For a moment my mind refused to accept it, I forgot about the sabers in her hand, the blood still on her kimono. And even the scent of blood that clung to her. No, Kagome couldn't be the assassin everyone spoke of. Not my Kagome.
Recognition flashed through the sapphire eye, but as her eyes narrowed it was swallowed up by the tinted eyes. Now as she gazed at me, both eyes of the tigers of the north. I ignored the priest's warning and stared deeply into those eyes.
And it did not take long for my world to become nothing but pain.
Pain erupted in my body, sharp and burning. It felt as if large poisonous claws were ripping at my body. I fell to my knees; I could even feel the pieces of flesh being torn from my body. Somehow I was able to stare up at her. Her eyes were calm as she watched me, but it was then that the pain doubled.
I growled as the pain forced me completely down onto the snow and I writhed against the cold snow, hoping it would put out the fire in me. I felt claws slash along my face, could feel my searing hot blood trickle down skin face. A crimson haze settled over my eyes, and ever so faintly I saw Kagome appear in front of me.
Her face still so beautiful, I reached for her. Her eyes still on mine; I didn't even see her raise her sword over my head. I had not the sense to move, or try to defend myself. All I could see where those eyes, that momentarily shifted back to sapphire. Both eyes this time. Kagome, my Kagome was staring down at me.
I whispered 'beloved' just as the blade began to fall.
First off, thanks to everyone for reading this fic. I hope everyone has enjoyed it so far. The later chapters will explain everything if anyones confused, if your too confused and can't wait, feel free to email or im me and I'll explain. Also, in case someone gets the bright idea to say it. The thing Kagome's eyes can do is not mine, it comes from a new anime I just saw called 'The Get Backers', I think its spelt the Jagon, so no body try and say I plagerized. I'll correct what its called in the next chapter. Thanks everyone for reading, Goddess bless.